Beside the Lake-Facing Cliffs, Irina lowered her Birdseye Telescope. Even from such a distance, the magnificent blue radiance emanating from the Academy of Raya Lucaria at the center of the lake was clearly visible.
Master Sellen had told her what such a signal represented before she departed. It was time to send forces to take control of the Academy.
"Father, are Therolina and her Finger Maidens ready? While there shouldn't be any particularly dangerous zones left, I fear this journey will inevitably lead us into encounters with those wandering spirits."
"Do not worry about that. With the Sellians accompanying them, their safety along the way is guaranteed."
Edgar's expression remained calm. He frequently assisted Alisa in managing the training of the city's army, and he knew that their current sphere of influence had grown enough to expand further without compromising the Caelid front.
Thinking back to the history of Stormveil Castle, he felt for a moment as if he had returned to the era when the Golden Order first unified the Lands Between. Back then, the Great Golden Army had fought on multiple fronts just as they were doing now—except this time, the direction was reversed.
He wondered if, in the future, they would truly be able to fight their way from the Weeping Peninsula all the way back to Castle Sol, one of the ancestral homes of the Storm Knights. To witness such a sight would leave him with no regrets in this life.
"Well, staying here won't help them. Let us head back and begin the arrangements."
Three days later, inside the Academy of Raya Lucaria, Gawain helped Master Sellen restructure the Academy's current layout. Simultaneously, they rooted out several short-sighted fools who still harbored thoughts of rebellion and sneak attacks. Gawain had nearly laughed in anger when a stray Glintstone Pebble struck him while he was simply walking down a hall.
After the initial chaos, reinforcements from Stormveil arrived exactly as expected. It was a formidable contingent led by the Crucible Knight Kaendan, comprised of Storm Knights, Sellians, Finger Maidens, and even a few Fire Monks. Such a lineup would be considered a force to be reckoned with even on the Altus Plateau.
Naturally, the journey had not been without its share of ambushes from wandering "land octopuses" and spirits. Kaendan had even personally led a detachment to wipe out the Rose Church, which had been serving the Lord of Blood.
With the Academy now in their grasp, their alliance with Caria Manor solidified, and the wandering Fire Monks from various regions being recruited, it was only a matter of time before Liurnia of the Lakes was purged as thoroughly as Limgrave had been.
Once such a luxurious force was stationed within the Academy, no one else was foolish enough to step forward as a rioter.
"Isn't the Academy's seal a bit too extravagant? Can it really be manipulated so freely?"
Gawain stood beside Master Sellen, watching with wonder as she modified the Academy's sealing system. Defensive measures were certainly necessary, but they would no longer be used for mindless, self-imposed isolation.
"To be honest, if I hadn't borrowed several scrolls left behind by the Queen from the Grand Library, it would have been difficult for me to fully master such a sophisticated magic array. It is capable of much more than you might imagine; as long as the glintstone mines beneath the Academy continue to provide energy, it can run indefinitely. I shouldn't need to remind you of the setbacks the Golden Order's army faced here, and that was back in the Age of Plenty, when they were backed by a continuous flow of blessed dew."
"Fair enough. I won't disturb you then. I'll have to trouble you to keep a close eye on the Academy's affairs, Master. We might have new things to research very soon."
Sellen's eyebrows arched slightly. She suspected her apprentice was about to produce yet another magic system she had never seen before. She agreed readily; to a master of the Primeval Current like herself, anything new was worth investigating.
Gawain left the Debate Parlor and entered the Grand Library. As long as he didn't open that specific chest, Ranni probably wouldn't say anything.
He checked on Melina's condition once more. No accidents had occurred, though he couldn't see through the Amber Egg to the interior. Her spirit was enveloped in Silver Tears, slowly merging with her new body under the assistance of the Queen's Great Rune. Occasionally, he could sense a trace of scorching black flame—the power of the Gloam-Eyed Queen.
Leaning against a pillar, he sat down and closed his eyes. The Dark Sigil at his chest began to shift, and he called out softly into the depths of his soul.
"Are you still there?"
"Always, Champion of Ash. Is there anything I can help you with?"
A gentle voice echoed from deep within.
"There are some things I want to say to everyone. And... I miss you a little. Can you pull my consciousness into your space? It's safe here; no outsiders will disturb us."
The tender voice hesitated for a moment, seemingly confirming the feasibility, before the Fire Keeper provided a definitive answer.
"Please wait a moment. I shall bring you in immediately."
Gawain felt his hands being gently held by a familiar touch. Then, his consciousness detached from reality, falling into an abyss of infinite darkness.
When he came to, he was standing before a bonfire burning with a warm, flickering light. He was no longer wearing the Carian Knight set, but the standard Knight set he had worn when he first crawled out of the cemetery.
The Fire Keeper gently rested her head against his back, just as she did every time he returned to Firelink Shrine between hunting Lords of Cinder. However, compared to her previous restraint, she now reached around and firmly embraced his waist.
"Welcome back, Champion of Ash."
"Yeah. It's been a while."
Ignoring whatever scenery lay beyond the bonfire, Gawain turned around and gazed at his Fire Keeper for a long time. To him, she was the person who had accompanied him the longest, giving him the most encouragement and help.
Aside from the pitch-black environment surrounding them, everything felt like a scene from the past. But he knew that after she had accompanied him in the Usurpation of Fire, the missions that once bound them had ended. The feelings suppressed deep within his heart were naturally beginning to loosen.
Sensing eyes watching him from behind, Gawain didn't continue to immerse himself in their private world. He turned around and saw five massive thrones in the distance. Sitting upon them were several familiar faces—people who had once cared for him with all their hearts (and souls).
"Though I suspected as much, a replica of Firelink Shrine really has manifested within my Dark Sigil."
He looked up at the ring of fire burning fiercely above—the manifestation of the Cinders within his body, maintaining the existence of the many souls that had escaped the end of the Age of Fire.
"The First Flame is the root of all disparity. The power of the remaining embers can naturally accomplish similar feats. Our souls all reside within you, Champion of Ash. Having a final sanctuary naturally allowed this place to take the form most familiar to us."
The Fire Keeper took Gawain's hand as a matter of course. With a gentle wave, the two of them appeared before the thrones.
Gawain stood face-to-face with the five Lords of Cinder, everyone staring at one another. Although past grievances meant nothing now, some things were still a bit awkward to dwell on.
Yhorm, Ludleth, and the Abyss Watchers were fine; they sat quietly on their thrones, their movements unrestricted. Siegward was even fast asleep beside his friend's throne.
That "drowning pig" Aldrich was the exception. Even now, Gawain felt no goodwill toward him. He was locked tightly to his throne, unable to move an inch. Since he was here, Gawain figured he might as well hit him with a burst of pyromancy before leaving.
The other awkward presence was the Twin Princes. They sat on their throne, still in their "Lothric-on-Lorian's-back" state.
"Lothric, I put out the First Flame for you and found you a new grave to live in. Is this outcome satisfactory to you?"
Lothric's mouth twitched. He and his brother had been perfectly content idling away at the top of Lothric Castle until this Ashen One suddenly burst in with a female knight, started a fight without a word, dragged their cinders to the thrones, and then went off to put out the fire.
Even now, he and his brother didn't know what to say. If they called it a bad thing, the man had actually put the fire out and found them a perfect grave. If they called it a good thing... well, something still felt off.
"Hmph. What's past is past. If I had known this would be the result, I wouldn't have given you the chance to hit us so hard."
"Haha, as if you two went easy on me. Forget it. There's no point in discussing it now. This is fine."
Gawain chuckled, memories flashing through his mind. The journey to hunt these five Lords had been filled with pain and hardship, but it had truly transformed him into a warrior. The world of Fire was beyond saving, but those experiences were serving him well in the Lands Between.
"Blade of the Darkmoon! Hast thou returned?"
A familiar voice came from behind him, giving him a start. Fortunately, the tone was slightly different; otherwise, he would have thought Melina had chased him in here.
Before he could turn around, the Company Captain pounced onto his back. Though Gawain was helpless, he steadied himself and gave her a piggyback ride. He could occasionally feel her half-dragon tail; the texture was softer than he had imagined.
He remembered that after defeating Aldrich, he had carried the Captain step by step from the Prison Tower back to Anor Londo just like this.
"Captain! When did you arrive? Yes, I missed you too. But I thought you were in Anor Londo. I didn't expect you to follow me here."
Setting the Captain down, Gawain turned and saw Sirris appearing alongside her. Sirris looked somewhat exasperated by the Captain's behavior.
The Fire Keeper explained:
"A long time passed after you accepted the inheritance of the Lords and went to the Kiln of the First Flame. The world outside had already collapsed during the Convergence. Yorshka eventually came to Firelink Shrine and entrusted her soul to me. Thus, she came here with me, along with everyone else who remained at the Shrine until the end."
"Ah... as long as you're here, that's all that matters."
To be honest, Gawain had originally assumed only the souls he held in his inventory had come here. He had been worried about the Captain's safety, so seeing her here brought him immense relief.
He took this rare opportunity to wander around. He witnessed a scene of "fatherly love and filial piety" from Gwyn's family while the daughter tried to break up the fight. He showed off the glintstone sorcery of the Lands Between to his three masters and had a boxing match with Andre.
To his surprise, even the people of Londor were here. Yuria, accompanied by a few unfamiliar faces, chased him around shouting about the "Lord of Hollows" until the Fire Keeper waved a hand and sent them off to who-knows-where.
Gawain was speechless. He had rejected their request back then, yet they had stubbornly stayed at the Shrine and followed him anyway. Well, no matter.
After finishing his tour, he returned to the base of the thrones and began to state the real reason for his visit.
"I have found a suitable method for rebirth in the Lands Between. While the essence of human souls in the Lands Between might be different from ours, I believe Silver Tears can adapt to yours as well. Therefore, if possible, you don't need to stay here forever. I understand that to those of you who struggled to survive the end of the Age of Fire, this place might seem like the sanctuary you've always dreamed of. But the world outside is completely different from what you imagine. If you are reborn in the Lands Between, although it is still full of danger, I believe you can lead normal lives—like the ordinary people who lived through the First Flame's most glorious days, capable of aging and dying naturally."
Clearly, Gawain's proposal tempted many present. Perhaps the Lords who had burned once or several times only wanted to rest in peace, but many others still yearned for a normal life.
In the dying world of Fire, they had been crushed by the weight of their duties. The chance to start a new life—a life that had only existed in their fantasies—was almost too beautiful for them to dare reach out and touch.
Seeing everyone's hesitation, Gawain knew this wasn't a decision that could be made in an instant. He wasn't in a hurry.
"The choice is yours. You don't have to decide right now. Think it over carefully. Anyone willing to start a new life in the Lands Between is welcome. However, the world outside isn't quite as perfect as I've made it sound. You might have to face enemies you've never imagined—enemies that even I find troublesome."
As soon as he finished, a figure stepped forward.
"In that case, I am willing to be the first to leave this place."
"Sirris, have you really thought this through? I'm not sure if the experiment will succeed on the first try. Perhaps the Silver Tears will need adjustments to perfectly accommodate your souls."
Gawain looked at the determined Sirris. He was moved, but he urged her to think it over. This was primarily a proposal; there was still a long way to go before it became reality.
"I am your knight. As a knight, how could I watch the one I am sworn to protect fight alone? As the vow says: 'Wherever thou goest, and even should all others turn against thee, my loyalty shall never waver.'"
With such a resolute declaration, he had no reason to refuse. Sirris was one of his best comrades from his journey; she had helped him countless times, and they had even taken down the Twin Princes together. If she could be reborn in the Lands Between, he would have another person he could trust completely.
"Very well. I will complete the preparations as quickly as possible and strive for success on the first attempt. I'll be going for now. I hope to see you in the Lands Between soon."
Gawain saw that his business was finished. Although he was reluctant to leave, it was time to go. If he stayed much longer, the people outside might start to worry.
"Touching this bonfire will let me leave, right?"
The Fire Keeper nodded.
"I pulled your consciousness into the depths of your soul; naturally, you can return through the bonfire that connects all things. Whenever you wish to return, you need only call for me."
"Understood. I will—"
Before Gawain could finish, the bonfire he was reaching out to touch suddenly exploded. Caught off guard, the blast knocked him flat on his back.
As he slowly scrambled back to his feet, he was completely bewildered. Why would a bonfire explode? Was he in the wrong game?
He focused his gaze and his mouth twitched. Then, he relaxed. Of course—who else but this god-forsaken freak could pull off a stunt like hiding inside a bonfire?
"Cough, cough... where on earth did you come from? How are you even here?"
"I am Aldia. I once challenged causality. We finally meet, Champion of Ash."
Why was the Scholar of the First Sin here?
Gawain looked with a complex expression at the face formed from burning wood on the ground. That was their former teacher—the First Scholar of Lothric... and he was still alive?
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Elden Ring: In the Name of Ash (229 chapter - Ongoing)
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